Mini Muscle

April '10

Feature Article from Hemmings Muscle Machines

1/43rd-scale 1963 Griffith Series 200
Automodello • 877-343-2276 • www.automodello.com • $95
New die-cast companies don't come along that often, and most that do just pop up to make a quick buck. Automodello, on the other hand, recently formed by die-cast and collector car enthusiast Jim Cowen, came about from Cowen's desire to fill in the blanks in the die-cast catalogs and offer cars that nobody's offered before.
Thus, Automodello's first release, the 1963 Griffith Series 200, a rare early competitor for the Shelby Cobra, with a tiny TVR body and massive Ford V-8. Cowen plans to offer just two versions, each in limited numbers. Production of the Regal Red version, shown here, will be capped at 262 units, the same number as the total Griffith production run.
The model itself is more sculpture than a traditional die-cast. Its intricate wire wheels, complete down to the knockoff hubs, don't actually turn. Neither hood nor doors open, and the chassis remains a blank slate. But the detail here is amazingly fine nonetheless--even inside the cockpit--and the paint so smooth and perfectly applied, you won't be taking it out of the box anyway.
1/18th-scale 1964½ Ford Mustang
Welly • 360-893-5626 • www.minimusclecars.com • $20
If the typical die-cast car lies somewhere on a spectrum between sculpture and toy, and if the Griffith above lies on one side of that spectrum, then Welly's Mustang lies on the opposite side.
Like many sub-$30 models, the Mustang offers cheapness in spades: The paint has the texture of an acne-riddled teenager's face, the wheels wobble on their mounts and dogleg hinges abound.
However, like every other Welly we've reviewed, many aspects of the car are fairly well thought out. Many chassis details are picked out as separate pieces, very little of the trim is chunky and heavy, and the 260-cu.in. V-8 underhood is adorned with plug wires and other details. Additionally, the proportions appear spot-on.
Maybe not a model to adorn your top shelf, but maybe not something to give to your kids right away either.

This article originally appeared in the April, 2010 issue of Hemmings Muscle Machines.